Carryiing case for bags of droppings

ABSTRACT

A dog leash apparatus, including a container having a pair of end caps with central openings, a hollow cylinder positioned in the container with a plurality of continuous perforated bags wound around the cylinder designed for collecting the excrement of a pet, a zipper of a circumference of the container of a sufficient length to allow egress and ingress of the hollow from the container, a leash assembly including a length of leash rope that extends through the central openings of each end cap and through the hollow cylinder within the container, and a leash hook connected with the proximal end of the leash, a leash grip connected at the distal end of the leash, and a fastening loop connected with the leash grip, and two bands attached to radially opposite locations of the distal exterior of the container and connected at the other end through the fastening loop and to each other for engaging the leash grip with the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention described below belongs to the technical sector of accessories for the attention and care of pets. The invention is specially designed to fulfill an obligation, and even a legal obligation, of owners of pets (especially dogs) in urban environments. The invention is intended to facilitate the collection of excrement and solid feces left by the animals on streets. In fact, the present invention consists of a bag, preferably of flexible material (cloth or leather), that is hooked to any type of leash for restraining a pet. Said bag, container or case, if so described, is specially designed to contain bags for the collection of animal feces and to extract them in an orderly and simple manner.

Only a few so-called extendible leashes for pets are known, in which the casing of the leash collection mechanism is provided with a covered recess for holding any type of small object (keys, bags, etc.)

In addition, some public agencies (municipal governments), in order to enforce the obligation of pet owners to pick up excrement left by their animals on the street, have installed street furniture in some cities, in which bags are housed for said purpose.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The invention described consists of a bag or case, preferably made of flexible or semiflexible materials such as cloth, plastic or leather. Said bag or case is cylinder-shaped, with a length that can range from 8 to 30 centimeters and a perimeter from 12 to 25 centimeters. The bag has a longitudinal zipper over all or part of its total length. The ends of the bag or case, terminating in a flat section, are reinforced in order to endow the unit with greater rigidity, and they present in both cases an opening of between 1 and 3 centimeters in diameter. Inside the bag or case, a hollow cylinder of semirigid material is housed, around which is wound a series of plastic bags joined but marked at their joint by means of a punch for easy separation. This component, which is independent of the bag or case, is interchangeable and we shall call it a roll of bags. Said roll of bags will contain a variable number of bags which, for example, will be from 50 to 300 bags.

The bag or case can be opened at one of its ends for insertion of the roll of bags with the utmost convenience. In case this opening is not available, the roll of bags will have to be housed inside the bag through the longitudinal zipper. The optional opening of one of the ends may be made in different ways, two options having been contemplated in principle: 1. a zipper across the bag itself, very close to the end, but which does not manage to cover between 3 and 6 centimeters of the whole perimeter of same, making it possible to open the bag, as if it were a tube, in order to house the roll of bags inside; 2. A system in which the end of the bag that can be opened consists of a cover fastened to the bag by means of a strap or band and usable by means of another strap that can be separated from the bag by a push button or other nonpermanent fastening system. From one of the ends of the bag, and lengthwise to and outside same, two straps or bands project, provided with a coupling system usable between them, preferably such as a clasp or push button. The end from which the straps project may or may not coincide with the end usable for housing the roll of bags.

Once the roll of bags is housed inside the case and the usable end is closed, the bags may be extracted by opening the longitudinal zipper.

To join the case or bag to the animal's leash, two operations have to be carried out.

The first will consist of inserting the strap and specifically the end from the snap hook attached to the collar of the animal through the openings of the end of the case, passing inside the cylinder of the roll of bags; this end of the leash, once that operation is performed, will be the one joined to the animal's collar.

The second operation makes it possible for the bag to be fitted to the grip of the leash (and not to fall on the animal's collar). It consists of passing the longitudinal strips through the grip of the leash and joining them by means of the nonpermanent fastening system (clasps, push button, etc.).

Once the second operation is completed, we shall have a leash available for restraining a pet, equipped, at the end of the grip, with a bag that contains the roll of bags intended for holding the feces of the animal.

In short, the bag described comprises:

1. A cylindrical bag or case 8 to 30 meters long and 12 to 25 centimeters on the perimeter, equipped with a longitudinal zipper. This bag, with ends of flat section and reinforced, has an opening at each of them between 1 and 3 centimeters in diameter.

2. Two facing straps, located at one of the ends of the bag, outside and lengthwise to same, provided at their ends with a nonpermanent coupling system (clasp, push button, etc.). The length of these straps will be between 5 and 25 centimeters.

3. Some bag ends can be opened, either by means of a transverse zipper system, or else by coupling it to the body of the bag by two straps, one joined permanently and the other removable by means of a push button or equivalent fastening system.

The proposed invention introduces, among others, the following advantages:

1. The user's autonomy, compared to the possibility of supply of bags by other means; 2. The avoidance of embarrassing situations due to lack of a bag to pick up the feces;

3. The versatility of the bag, which can be coupled to any type of pet leash, traditional as well as extendible, like extendible leashes with reel casing, which makes their easy interchange possible, according to the user's preferences, the type of pet to be restrained, etc.;

4. The bag can constitute a special advertising support for businesses or services. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiment consists of a cylindrical bag 22 centimeters long and 17 centimeters in diameter, finished at flat section ends and reinforced by means of metal plates, provided with an opening 3 centimeters in diameter. Two facing straps project from one of the ends of the bag, 10 and 15 centimeters in length respectively, provided with push button closure. At the other end of the bag there is a transverse zipper that embraces its entire perimeter, except to the extent necessary to leave a passage for the longitudinal zipper (and, concretely, at 5 centimeters), which enables that end to be opened in order to accommodate inside the bag the roll of bags for collecting and containing the excrement. The roll of bags is of standard material and consists of a hollow cardboard cylinder, three centimeters in diameter, around which 100 plastic bags are wound, but punched for their easy separation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention described, some additional descriptions of the drawings are provided, which, in illustrative form and without limitation, are incorporated in this specification of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows the bag or case as follows: 1. Longitudinal zipper; 2. Flat end with reinforcement; 3. Opening; 4. Transverse zipper; 5. Strap outside the bag; 6. Push button closure; 7. Leash snap hook; 8. Leash; 9. Leash grip.

FIG. 2. shows the bag or case open at its two zippers, as follows: 1. Longi-tudinal zipper; 2. Flat end with reinforcement; 3. Opening; 4. Transverse zipper; 5. Strap outside the bag; 9. Leash grip; 10. Bag or case; 11. Roll of bags; 12. Hollow cylinder on which the bags are wound; 13. Plastic bag for collecting excrement.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the bag, as follows: 1. Longitudinal zipper; 5. Strap outside the bag; 6. Push button closure; 10. Bag or case; 14. Workable strap; 15. Push button; 16. Fixed strap; 17. Workable cover; 18. Opening. 

1-3. (canceled)
 4. A dog leash apparatus, comprising: (a) a container having a pair of end caps with central openings; (b) a hollow cylinder positioned in the container with a plurality of continuous perforated bags wound around the cylinder designed for collecting the excrement of a pet; (c) a zipper of a sidewall of the container of a sufficient length to allow egress and ingress of the hollow cylinder from the container; (d) a leash assembly including a length of leash rope that extends through the central openings of each end cap and through the hollow cylinder within the container, and a leash hook connected with the proximal end of the leash, a leash grip connected at the distal end of the leash, and a fastening loop connected with the leash grip; and (e) two bands attached to radially opposite locations of the distal exterior of the container and connected at the other end through the fastening loop and to each other for engaging the leash grip with the container.
 5. The dog leash apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the leash rope is retractable into a leash housing.
 6. The dog leash apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the two bands are detachable from one another.
 7. A dog leash apparatus, comprising: (a) a container having a pair of end caps with central openings; (b) a hollow cylinder positioned in the container with a plurality of continuous perforated bags wound around the cylinder designed for collecting the excrement of a pet; (c) a zipper of a circumference of the container of a sufficient length to allow egress and ingress of the hollow from the container; (d) a leash assembly including a length of leash rope that extends through the central openings of each end cap and through the hollow cylinder within the container, and a leash hook connected with the proximal end of the leash, a leash grip connected at the distal end of the leash, and a fastening loop connected with the leash grip; and (e) two bands attached to radially opposite locations of the distal exterior of the container and connected at the other end through the fastening loop and to each other for engaging the leash grip with the container.
 8. The dog leash apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the leash rope is retractable into a leash housing.
 9. The dog leash apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the two bands are detachable from one another.
 10. The dog leash apparatus according to claim 7, further including a zipper longitudinally placed on the cylinder, wherein the zipper is of sufficient length to allow ingress and regress of the roll of bags from within the cylinder.
 11. The dog leash apparatus according to claim 7, further including a band engaged with the proximal end of the container and with the end cap of the proximal end of the container, wherein the band is detachable thereby allowing for the end cap to be removable. 